


Under My Thumb

by egmcgregors



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:00:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27696634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egmcgregors/pseuds/egmcgregors
Summary: Roman Sionis and Frankie Penmark form an unlikely alliance that comes to surprise the both of them in a variety of ways. What better test of one’s own morals than to challenge them with a person who directly contradicts them?
Relationships: Roman Sionis/Original Female Character(s), Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz
Kudos: 1





	Under My Thumb

roman sionis reminded frankie terribly of fredo corleone. he was void of that pure innocence—that essence of goodness that made fredo such a lovable character—but he had the stupidity. it was a stupidity that stopped him from being something more. 

he tried desperately to play the part of michael corleone, too, but he lacked all the necessary parts. michael was the favorite of the father, a war hero, a first generation american, and an antihero in his own right. roman sionis could not brag of the same attributes or accomplishments. he was nothing more than an all american asshole who’d somehow weaseled his way onto her turf, into her home. she loved the godfather, had seen it more times than she could count as a child. she knew exactly where people like roman sionis ended up: they ended up sleeping with the fishes. 

“roman, roman, roman.” she began, standing from her position at her desk. roman was alarmingly approachable on the day, as if wasn’t marching about her offices preparing to blackmail her. the intent didn’t come across when she gazed at him a bit too long as they shook hands, but she felt it in her gut. it was only a matter of time before he made this move. he had done it with all the other newspapers in town and hers was the last stop. she could either board the train or let her business die off (in a quite literal way, she heard). 

“francesca penmark. you’re a hard woman to see.” 

“oh, i’m quite easy to find when i want you to.” she acknowledged, offering him a forced grin. he offered her one back, not letting his anger engulf him as she knew he often did. he was a true figlio di puttana—a motherfucker. 

her brother adored him, but she could not say she shared the same affections. 

“well,” he began, taking a seat on his own accord. frankie stood, allowing herself to tower over him. 

“well indeed.”

“ms.penmark i’m going to make this short and simple for you: i need you. you know i need you.” 

“yes, i’ve heard the rounds you’ve been doing. not so subtle of you, but i appreciate the godfather-esque vibes from the whole thing, i do. my father loved that movie.” she spoke. “we’re of the same blood, you know? sicilian?”

“ah, i’m one for dramatics, you know? i always liked the ‘send a message’ thing they had going on.” he folded his hands in his lap, leaning into the chair he sat at. “i always favored the scene in the first one where they cut the horse’s head off.”

“i liked the second movie more.” she stared off into the distance. the town below was bustling as usual. “the kiss of the death.” she look back at roman, smiling. “‘i know it was you, fredo. you broke my heart.’ brilliant.”

“mm,” he nodded. “he knew better than most what a piece of shit family could be, didn’t he, that michael?”

“he wasn’t sicilian, roman, that was the problem. he didn’t get it.” she shook her head. “just like you, roman. you don’t get it. you’re come si dice...too american. too foolish. i know my brother likes you, and i know you will have free reign in this company in no time, but i want you to know that a very small part of me will always think that of you.”

roman smirked. “i do think that was an agreement, or as much as i’ll get one from you. you’re prideful and stubborn, frankie, just as i remember.”

she narrowed her eyes. “you remember nothing of me besides what you want. i’m not like that anymore.”

“no? i quite liked you in italy when we were younger. you liked cocaine and you liked me just as your brother does now.” roman shrugged. “well, perhaps a little more than your brother does now. what happened?”

“i got sober and i grew up. my brother likes you because a very small part of him is afraid of you, but not me. i know you.”

he laughed bitterly. “you do?”

“i do. you have not changed a bit from what i hear. maybe you’ve gotten meaner—or maybe it’s just that you find yourself in the position to do more evil.”

“frankie, please.” he rolled his eyes. “you were always such a bitch when you didn’t get your way. i was man enough to admit i needed you, be kind enough to not slander me or i won’t be so nice the next time we met.”

she clicked her tongue. “threats on the first date. red flag.”

she could see him start to grow aggravated; his eyes were starting to darken with an anger she felt familiar with. 

he hadn’t been so different back then at all, when she knew him. roman and frankie had been something a long time ago, about ten years prior, before anything serious happened for either of them in their respective family businesses. she had met him at a gala, found him handsome, and romped around europe and gotham with him long enough to make some headlines. they hadn’t faired well for either of them in the end and she broke off her relationship with him to get better. he didn’t show signs of resentment, or harm her in any way, but frankie knew he hated her at least on a minuscule level for awhile. then he met someone new and he faded away completely. the only reminders of him she got was a wedding invitation a few years prior, and a headline to write not long after stating that he’d been booted out of his family business. 

“i don’t want to fight with you. i have a meeting in an hour i need to prepare for and i think we’ve said all we needed to say.” 

he shook his head. “francesca, we’ve only just begun.” 

“mm.” she nodded her head. 

“we need to go over the finer details sometime.” he crossed his legs. “i want you to be my main publisher of any news. you’re the first to report.”

she laughed. “well, if i’m going to let this company fall into corrupt hands, i might as well be the first to report the misinformation, right?” she raised her eyebrows. “wouldn’t want to get the crummy seconds.” 

“oh, you’re so pessimistic.” roman sighed dramatically. he began to stand from the seat he had taken in front of her. his gloved fingers worked to button up his suit jacket as he made his way to the door. “listen, put this on your calendar: friday evening i want to see you at my club. i’ve left the information with your receptionist because i figured this meeting would go as planned. you’re a smart girl, after all.”

“roman, i don’t want to be seen at your club. that won’t be good for either of us.”

“ah,” he spoke, “that’s the best part about it: you never are. it’s the black mask club, after all. no one will suspect a thing.”

“anyhow.” he reached for the door, turning back only momentarily to get the last word in: “i’ll see you then.”


End file.
